Ballyboley’s Daisy the donkey reunited with owner thanks to social media

Victoria Leonard

A Ballyboley donkey has been reunited with her owner after a social media campaign resulted in her being recognised seven miles from home.

Raymond Semple’s donkey Daisy proved to be the stereotypical stubborn mule after chewing through her tether and evading capture for five days.

While Raymond worried about his six-year-old pet’s welfare, Daisy hoofed it to a field at Starbog Road near Kilwaughter Lime Company, where she was recognised last weekend thanks to a campaign in local shops and on social media.

Raymond told The Times: “I thought I was never going to get her.

“She chewed through her tether and got out last Tuesday morning in the early hours.

“I am visually impaired so people had been helping me to look for her.

“They put up posters in local shops and they put it on Facebook.”

However, despite the local appeal there were no sightings of Daisy for several days.

Raymond continued: “I was worried about her as time went on and no-one saw her.

“I thought something had happened to her, I was worried that she was stuck in an open drain or that she had been stolen, as you hear of horses and donkeys being stolen.”

On Saturday, four days after Daisy disappeared without a trace, Raymond finally received information regarding her whereabouts.

He revealed: “A lady who comes to do cleaning at our house said that a man called James McGee had found her up at Starbog by Kilwaughter Lime Company, which is six or seven miles away.

“James McGee’s wife had noticed the donkey on the Friday and with people putting posters up and sharing her details on Facebook everybody knew about her.

“I went up with a fella in a jeep with a horsebox to get her.

“I was glad to get her again. I took some meal up with me and she came to me.”

“I think there are other donkeys up there on the side of the hill but she wasn’t near them, she was standing at the gate on the road side.”

Raymond says that it was thanks to the support of the local community that he was reunited with Daisy, who is now safe, well and secure in her pen.

He stated: “I would like to thank everyone who helped me find her; James McGee and his wife, everyone who helped on Facebook, the fella with the horsebox and everyone who helped to look for her.

“I’m relieved that she is home, although I haven’t let her out again yet after what happened.”